Expandable and adjustable display unit



March 23, 1965 HI 1 MARSCHAK 3,174,627

EXPANDABLE AND ADJUSTABLE DISPLAY UNIT Filed Feb. 20, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l /l @a 4 L 6D 60N tal March 23, 1965 H. J. MARscHAK EXPANDABLE AND ADJUSTABLE DISPLAY UNIT Filed Feb. 2G, 1963 United States Patent O M 3,174,627 EXPANDABLE AND ADJUSTABLE DSPLAY UNT Howard I. Marschair, 1544 W. Elmdale Ave., Evanston, Ill. Filed Feb. 2G, 1963, Ser. No. 259,860 6 Claims. (Cl. 211-57) This invention relates to an expandable and adjustable display unit for displaying merchandise and. the like.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a display unit which is expandable and adjustable and which may be readily attached to any horizontal supporting surface such as a shelf or the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide a display unit for merchandise which is adjustable in its width and in its height.

Another' object of this invention is to provide a display unit which may be collapsed to occupy a minimum of shipping and storage space, which may be readily set up and expanded and attached to any horizontal supporting structure, and which has means for adjusting the height of the display panel and merchandise thereon.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the display unit.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view thereof.

FIG. 3 is an end view broken away with the supporting arms removed and showing the back panel in adjusted elevated position.

FIG. 4 is a sectional View taken on lines 4-4 of FIG. 2, with an upper supporting arm added for clarity.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view partly in section.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the supporting arm.

FIG. 7 is a side view of said supporting arm.

FIG. 8 is an end view of same.

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of the sign panel, and

FIG. l0 is a sectional view taken on lines 10-10 of FIG. 9.

The display unit includes a pair of telescoping back panels generally designated by the numerals 12 and 14, each of which is secured at their outer ends to shelf attaching members 16 which are detachably secured to a supporting shelf 18. The telescoping back panels 12 and 14 are expandable relative to each other and are adapted to detachably support a plurality of supporting arms generally indicated by the numeral 2G. The panels 12 and 14 are also adjustable vertically on the shelf attaching members to raise or lower same with respect to the supporting shelf.

More specifically, the back panel comprises a vertical front Wall 22 having rearwardly turned upper and lower horizontal walls 24 extending along the length thereof and terminating in inwardly extending vertical ilanges 26 which form a track to slidingly receive in telescopic relation a similarly formed construction in back panel member 14. Back panel member 14 has a front vertical wall 28 provided with rearwardly extending upper and lower horizontal walls 3G terminating in inwardly extending Vertical anges 32 which are of smaller dimensions than the track in panel 12 so that same slide therewithin in a telescopic relation, as best shown in FIG. 4.

The upper and lower horizontal walls 24 are each provided with a slot 24 and the upper and lower horizontal walls 30 are each provided with a slot 30'. A retaining bolt and nut 31 pass through said slots and when tightened serve to secure the panels 12 and 14 in their adjusted position.

The outer end of the panel 12 is curled to form a tubulh? Patented Mar. 23, 1965 ICS lar end portion 34 which receives the upright or vertical portion 36 of the generally L-shaped shelf attaching member 16, as best seen in FIG. 5. The back panel 14 likewise has a similar tubular outer end portion 38 to similarly receive the vertical portion of the other shelf attaching member 16.

As best seen in FIG. 5, the opposite end of panel 12 is curled forwardly as at 37. These curled ends are in engagement with the respective panel wall adjacent thereto and serve to properly space the panels relative to each other, as well as to provide the proper frictional engagement between the sliding panels. The curled ends 35 and 37 also limit the outward expansibility of the panels relative to each other.

The shelf attaching members 16 are formed preferably of a tubular material and as previously described are generally L-shaped, having a vertical portion 36 continuingr with a horizontal portion 40 which is shaped to form a generally U-shaped front end 42 which terminates in a yrearward extension 44, parallel with but spaced from horizontal portion 40. The end of the tubular extension 44 is compressed or attened as at 45 and is provided with a threaded opening to receive a thumb screw 46. As seen, the tubular end portions 34 and 33 of the panels 12 and 14 each support at `the rear thereof a threaded bolt 48 which is adapted to be tightened to engage the vertical portion 36 of the shelf attaching members 16, for the purpose of locking ,the panels to the shelf attaching members in any adjusted elevated position.

The telescopic back panels each may be elevated from that shown in FIG. l, that is, they may be raised or slid upwardly on the vertical portions 36 of the shelf attaching members 16 and held in any such elevated position. FIG. 3 illustrates the back panels adjusted in elevated position.

The vertical portion 36 of each of .the shelf attaching members 16 has a threaded opening 41. The curled end 34 is provided with three vertically spaced openings 43. The curled end 38 is also provided with three similar openings. The panels are slid vertically on the ventical portions 36 so that one of the openings in each of the curled ends is alined with the threaded opening 41. A threaded bolt 48 engages said openings and locks the panels in their adjusted elevated position. The panels f may thus be raised or lowered relative to the supporting shelf 1S and locked in such position.

The display unit also supports a telescopic sign panel at the front thereof generally designated by the numeral 50. The telescopic sign panel is formed of two sections indicated by the numerals 52 and 54. Section 54 telescopes within section 52. The sign panel construction is best shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 9 and 10. Sign panel section S2 has a front vertical wall S5 and rearwardly and horizontally upper and lower ilanges 56, each of which terminates in inwardly and vertically extending llanges 58 which form upper arnd lower tracks to receive the similarly turned rearwardly and inwardly extending flanges generally designated at 60 on the telescoping sign section S4.

The outer end of sign panel 52 is shaped to form a loop 62 which is secured by a rivet 63. The outer end of sign panel section 54 has a similar loop 64 secured by a rivet 65. A pin 66 is rotatably conned in loop 62 and the opposite ends of said pin are welded to the portions 40 and 44 ot' shelf attaching member 16. The loop 64 similarly supports pin 67 which is similarly welded to the other shelf attaching member 16. The shelf attaching members 16 are thus pivotally secured to the ends of sign panel 50.

It will thus be seen that the display unit has telescopic panels for supporting and displaying merchandise and Y 3 Y telescopic sign sections so that the display unit may be expanded or contracted as desired.

The display unit is adapted to be supported on` any con-V ventional shelf 18 and is' positioned thereon so that the horizontal portion 4G of the shelf attaching members 16 rest on the top of the shelf, Vwith lthe U-shaped forward bend 42 extending forwardly of the shelf and lthe rearward extension 44 extending below the bottom of the shelf. The thumb screW46 is adjusted to engage the underside of the shelf and positively securefthe display unit to the shelf. It will be seen that the telescopic sign panel 50 extends across the'front ofthe Shelf. When thus positioned on the shelf the unit is ready to support anddisplay articles of merchandise. Y

The front walls 22 and 28 of the Vtelescopic panelsvare provided with two rows of openings spaced in pairs. The

wardly, inclined and downwardly extending portion 76.

Permanently affixed to the downwardly extending portion 76 of said bar, as by soldering, welding or the like, is an attachingbracket 78 which is of generally U-Shaped conguration in plan, having opposite ends 80 connected Vby a cross-piece 82. The ends'80 terminate in rearwardly upturned hook ends 84. The bar 74 is secured centrally of the opposite ends 80 of the bracket, as best seen in FIGS. 6 and 8. Y

The Supporting arm with theattaching bracket as part thereof is readily attached to any of the pairs of openings 68 or 70 on the back panel. This is accomplished by positioning the arm 72 vertically and alining the hook ends 84 with any pair of openings and inserting same therein and then turning the arm downwardly to a horizontal position until it assumes the position shown Vin FIG. 7, in which the downwardlyextending portion 76 of the arm engages the front Wall of the panel with the Vupwardly extending ends 84 of the bracket extending rearwardly of the frontfwall. This locks the supporting arm to the front wall. Y I

It will be understood, however, that the supporting arm is detachably removable from said front wall, as by reversing the procedure and removing same from the openings. In this position the supporting arms extend forwardly of the back panel and are adapted to support any material or merchandise which may be hung or supported on said arms.

With this invention the display unit may be readily Set up on any convenient shelf and may be expanded or contracted by the telescopic arrangement to provide a display unitof the desired length. The unitrmay be shipped disassembled, that is, the back panels and sign sections are detached from the shelf attaching members and. collapsed in telescopic relation. However, the unit may be readily assembled.

y 4 It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope 'of the appended claims. What is claimed is:

1. A display unit comprising a plurality of panels arranged in telescopic relation, said panels having a plurality of spacedopenings, a plurality of supporting arms detachably secured .to said spaced openings so that each said supporting arm extends forwardly of said panel, a shelf attaching member secured to the end of each of the outermost panels, each said shelf attaching member being generally yL-Shaped with the ventical portion attached tov gaging the underside of the horizontal supporting mem` ber for detachably securing same to the horizontal sup'- porting member. Y

2. A structure dened inl claim 1 in which the panelV members are adjustable vertically on said shelf attaching 3. A display unitkcomprising a pair of verticallysupported panelmembers, one of said members telescoping within the other, a shelf attaching member connected to each of said panels, said shelf attaching members having means detachably securing said panels to a horizontal Support, said shelf attaching members being generally L- Shaped, with the forward end of said L-shaped member `being turned to form a generally U-shape and adapted to'Y engage the top` and bottom of the support on which'same is disposed, each of said panels having openings therein, a plurality of supporting arms detachably secured to said openings in said panels. A

' 4. A structure defined in claim 3 in which the U- shaped member has a fastening member so that the L-shaped members are secured and locked to the underside ofthe support.

5. A structure defined in claim 3 in vwhich means are provided for moving the panel members vertically `as a unit with respect to the shelf attaching members so that the panel members are adjustably secured in a plurality of adjusted positions relative yto Vthe horizontal support.

6. A structure defined in claim 3 in which telescopic sign panels 4are secured to said shelf attaching members and extend across the front and between said shelf attaching members.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 573,835 12/96 Taylor 2li- 87X 2,260,294 10/41 Brown V V 211-*176 x 2,936,902 5/60 Sinclair 2li-s6 2,987,195 6/61 Smith 211 175 Y 3,007,580 `11/61 Dicksen 211-s6 X 3,070,339 12/62 Schayer 24a- 223 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DISPLAY UNIT COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PANELS ARRANGED IN TELESCOPIC RELATION, SAID PANELS HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED OPENINGS, A PLURALITY OF SUPPORTING ARMS DETACHABLY SECURED TO SAID SPACED OPENINGS SO THAT EACH SAID SUPPORTING ARM EXTENDS FORWARDLY OF SAID PANEL, A SHELF ATTACHING MEMBER SECURED TO THE END OF EACH OF THE OUTERMOST PANELS, EACH SAID SHELF ATTACHING MEMBER BEING GENERALLY L-SHAPED WITH THE VERTICAL PORTION ATTACHED TO THE END OF THE PANEL AND WITH THE HORIZONTAL PORTION ADAPTED TO REST ON A HORIZONTAL SUPPORTING MEMBER SO THAT THE PANELS ARE SUPPORTED ABOVE THE SUPPORTING MEMBER, AND MEANS ON SAID SHELF ATTACHING MEMBER AND ENGAGING THE UNDERSIDE OF THE HORIZONTAL SUPPORTING MEMBER FOR DETACHABLY SECURING SAME TO THE HORIZONTAL SUPPORTING MEMBER. 